Pearson
2019
Search results
Jun 19, 2022 · How did Chris Downey, who lost his sight after a brain tumor, continue his career as an architect and even improve his skills? Watch the CBS News report on his journey of overcoming challenges and finding new ways of experiencing the world.
- Correspondent
- 14 min
Dec 3, 2021 · Consulting on projects of all kinds, the California architect draws on his own blind experience to harmonize the needs of everyone. By Fred A. Bernstein. December 3, 2021. Architect Chris...
Chris Downey is an architect who went suddenly blind in 2008; he contrasts life in his beloved San Francisco before and after -- and shows how the thoughtful designs that enhance his life now might actually make everyone's life better, sighted or not.
- 11 min
- 1.2M
- Chris Downey
Chris Downey is a blind architect who shares his insights on how to design with the blind in mind. He has a unique perspective as a seasoned architect without sight, and he has given a TED talk on his experiences and ideas. Learn more about his work, his gallery of images, and his upcoming events.
People also ask
Who is Chris Downey?
What happened to Chris Downey?
What does Chris Downey say about career alternatives?
Who is Chris Downey & Lesley Stahl?
- Design Is Not Just A Visual Process
- Downey’s Recent Work
- How Many Blind People Are Out There, Anyway?
- Blind People Use The Same Buildings as The Rest of Us
- Designing Sensory-Rich Environments
- Beautiful Buildings That Sound Good
- Does The Americans with Disabilities Act Help The Blind?
- Accessibility Features That Work
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
“We’re used to thinking of design as being a visual process. But really, design is an intellectual process, and the visual dimension is a tool to aid in that. It’s one way of getting information, but it’s not the only way.” Downey found several methods that he could use to to create new designs and to communicate with other members of the design te...
Downey discussed some of his recent design projects, which are mainly focused on serving people who are visually impaired. He learned a lot from working with the SmithGroup and The Design Partnershipon the VA Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center in Palo Alto. “What makes for a beautiful building, a delightful building, if you can’t see it?” h...
At first, designs for the so-called “blind population” might seem to serve only a small number of people, until one considers the fact that total blindness is only the most extreme form of visual impairment. People who are legally blind, for example, cannot drive a car but they can often see well enough to perform other tasks. They, too, have had t...
Not only is the problem widespread, but consider also that dedicated centers and schools aren’t the only areas that are used by people with visual impairments. Other areas that are especially problematic for visually impaired people include transit centers, public buildings, cafes, and even supposedly “pedestrian-friendly” sidewalks. People who are...
Once Downey started to lay it all out, a lot of it seemed like common sense, like the fact that people with poor vision use other senses to compensate. To be more user-friendly, buildings and environments should speak to senses other than vision, to make places more recognizable for a wider spectrum of abilities. Integrated holistic architecturewas...
During the talk, someone asked what a beautiful building might be for someone who couldn’t see it. Downey replied, “It’s about appropriateness. A cathedral will have a different sound than a bedroom. Inside the SmithGroup offices in San Francisco, there was a hard walkway and I could tell by their footsteps not only who was coming but what mood the...
Well, not as much as it could, according to Downey. “ADA doesn’t address the visual much. It’s more about mobility. But there are spaces that are fine for people in wheelchairs that are hazardous to blind people.” First he showed us a bunch of “head-bangers” that made everyone wince and clutch their foreheads. In the first photo, Downey showed hims...
So, what sort of features actually work for visually impaired people? Downey listed several areas of concern and discussed the trial-and-error method of discovering solutions.
Chris Downey is a blind architect who lost his vision two and a half years ago and has since practiced architecture. He shares his methods, projects, and insights on how to design for people with limited vision. Learn about his non-visual coping skills, Braille, 3D printers, and multisensory environments.
- (415) 391-0186
Sep 30, 2013 · Architect Chris Downey on how he readjusted to life in San Francisco -- its streets, its sounds, its community -- after losing his sight.
Chris Downey is the inaugural Lifchez Professor of Practice and Social Justice at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design, teaching a studio that continues the work of Professor Emeritus Ray Lifchez, a trailblazer of universal and disability design.
